“The Brady Bunch” Star Reveals the Shocking On-Set Injury That Left Her ‘Beat Up’ During Filming
When you think of classic TV families, “The Brady Bunch” probably tops the list. But not everything behind the scenes was as smooth as it looked—especially for Susan Olsen, who played the youngest sibling, Cindy.
On a recent episode of The Real Brady Bros podcast—hosted by her former co-stars Christopher Knight (Peter) and Barry Williams (Greg)—Olsen shared a scary memory from her time on set. She was just eight years old when a serious accident happened during filming.
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“On the Culver lot, they were shooting something—I think it was in the girls’ bedroom—and I was getting body makeup on my legs,” she said. “I was standing on a makeup chair, and something from the catwalk, where they keep the lights and equipment, fell. It hit the makeup man first, bounced off the woman doing my makeup, and then hit me right in the face.”
The impact left her badly bruised. Olsen said the injuries were so noticeable that if you look closely, you can see the swelling in the scene where Carol Brady (played by Florence Henderson) marries Mike Brady (Robert Reed).
Despite being visibly hurt, Olsen kept filming. Her co-stars rallied around her—especially Florence Henderson, who was deeply upset by the accident and made sure people understood how serious it was. The production team even brought in a top makeup artist to help cover the bruising for each scene.
Looking back, Olsen joked that her family never sued the studio, though she now thinks maybe they should have. But more than anything, the experience sheds light on the pressure child actors often face—trying to stay tough when they’re hurt, both physically and emotionally. Her story offers a different perspective on “The Brady Bunch” legacy—reminding fans that behind those cheerful episodes were real people dealing with real challenges.
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